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Spokesman Brandon Thomas said it wasn't immediately clear how many sirens went off and for how long.

The system of warning sirens is placed in a 10-mile radius around the plant.

While a test sounding was conducted earlier in the month, no tests had been scheduled for Friday, according to a Duke Energy website.

Several residents took to Twitter to voice a mixture of concern and bemusement about hearing the power plant alarms days after a missile warning false alarm in Hawaii.

The mishap at the plant had Twitter users posting hilarious memes in response.

Hawaii lawmakers were holding a hearing Friday to discuss a false alarm last weekend that warned of a ballistic missile headed for the island state.

Hawaii officials apologized repeatedly and said the alert was sent when someone hit the wrong button during a shift change.

They vowed to ensure it would never happen again.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK issued a false alarm on Tuesday saying North Korea appeared to have launched a missile and urging people to take shelter, but it managed to correct the error within minutes.

The North Carolina plant, also known as Shearon Harris for its namesake power executive, has a massive 523-foot cooling tower that can be seen from surrounding highways.